One-third of Australians support 5-day office return: reports

But most of those who support full office return come from surprising demographic

One-third of Australians support 5-day office return: reports

An unexpected group of Australians are advocating for the traditional workplace setup that involves coming onsite for five days a week, according to reports.

A survey by news.com.au among 1,870 Australians revealed that 35% support working in the office five days a week. This is only slightly higher than the 31% who believe one to two days of remote work is ideal.

However, the report discovered a surprising finding: 45% of the respondents who believe full-time work is ideal are retirees.

It found that 56% of respondents above the age of 75 want workers to come onsite five days a week. This is also the sentiment of 42% of Baby Boomers.

On the other hand, only 29% of Millennials and 23% of Gen Z employees prefer the traditional five-day onsite work, according to the news.com.au survey.

Liam D'Ortenzio, Employment Hero's head of people and culture, told news.com.au that older generations' preference is likely because they lived in an era where in-office presence meant productivity, collaboration, and visibility.

"On the other hand, younger generations have entered the workforce during or after the digital transformation, where remote work has proven not only feasible but often more efficient," he told the news outlet.

Growing office-return mandates

The findings come in the wake of spreading office-return policies in workplaces across Australia and the rest of the world, such as the case in Amazon, Dell, and Tabcorp.

In Australia, findings from Robert Half found that 39% of employees are already mandated to attend the office five days a week as of June 2024.

Source: Robert Half

The report, however, noted that the higher the number of mandated in-office days, the more employees are dissatisfied.

It found that 23% of employees who report to the office four or five days a week were unsatisfied with the mandate, much higher than the 15% who are only recalled to the office for two days a week.

"Mandated office days can be a double-edged sword for workers. While they foster collaboration and connection, they can also lead to resentment and disengagement if not implemented and justified thoughtfully," said Andrew Brushfield, Director at Robert Half, in a previous statement.

"Even with staff coming to terms with attending the office more frequently, the key for employers is to create an environment that highlights the positives of in-office work and sparks joy, not dread."